Witch Way Now?/Plot
Phoebe is going through a raft of letters when Cole suddenly cries out to her, channeling a television psychic. thumb Prescott Street is under heavy-duty construction, making Piper reluctant to use magic for fear of being exposed. Paige has to convince her to let Leo hover up to mark a spot on the wall for a picture. Phoebe comes in, still unnerved from Cole contacting her; he's tried to get in touch with her several times. She wants to find a way to get in touch with him. Suddenly, everything freezes. Paige peeks out and sees the entire street is frozen as well. She thinks Piper has had a major power boost, but Piper denies that it was her doing. Suddenly, a man appears in the living room. He introduces himself as the Angel of Destiny, and he's come with an offer for the sisters--as a reward for vanquishing the Source, they have a chance to relinquish their powers and live normal lives. The sisters go into a corner to talk about it. While Paige wants to keep her powers, Phoebe has lost her enthusiasm for being a witch after first becoming Cole's queen, then nearly dying while carrying his baby, and Piper fears she'll never be a mother as long as she's a witch. The sisters convince the Angel to give them some time to think about it. The Angel agrees, with the stipulation that if two want to give up their powers, they can overrule the third. The room unfreezes. Piper tells Leo to check with the Elders and see if the Angel is legitimate. Darryl calls with a warning--Agent Jackman from the FBI wants to put the sisters under surveillance; apparently their names have been linked to a raft of unsolved cases. He suggests not using any magic until the heat's off. Minutes later, a telephone repair van rolls up across the street from the manor--but it turns out to have surveillance equipment driven by Jackman. The sisters, however, suspect Jackman might already be spying on them, and blast rock music from the attic so they can talk. Phoebe fears that Cole might inadvertently out them as witches, and wants to go to him and tell him to move on. Piper and Paige run interference; while Paige serves lemonade to the construction workers as a distraction, Piper opens the back of the van and freezes the driver, not knowing that it's Jackman. thumb Phoebe casts the spell and astral-projects to a desert-like place with big rocks everywhere. Cole is there. They rush up to higher ground just as a creature snaps at Phoebe's feet. Cole explains that they're in the Demonic Wasteland, where all demons go once they're vanquished. The creature feeds on dead demons' powers. However, Cole has been able to fend him off because as a half-human, he has a soul. He wants Phoebe to bring him back with a resurrection spell in the Grimoire. Phoebe is shocked; she isn't willing to ever use dark magic again. The creature grabs Phoebe and starts to pull her down. Piper and Paige hear Phoebe's screams and cast the reversal spell just in time. They've barely settled down when Jackman knocks on the door. Jackman has a huge file of surveillance photos. He's an expert on the occult, and knows the sisters are witches. However, rather than expose them, he wants them to help track down a serial killer that he's been tracking named Selena, the latest in a long line of Witch Hunters. Piper isn't buying it and tries to freeze him, but it has no effect; Jackman stole an amulet from Selena that gives him immunity to witchcraft. He explains that Selena has burned three suspected witches at the stake, and he thinks the sisters are next on her list. He gives the sisters a bag full of Selena's personal effects, and offers to destroy the pictures if they help catch her. Phoebe wants to end it by calling the Angel back, but Piper isn't willing to risk letting a warlock run loose. Leo orbs back in and reveals the Angel is legitimate--and so is his offer. Piper tells Leo to meet up with Darryl and find out what they can about Jackman. thumb|left Just as Cole is about to sacrifice himself to the creature, he accidentally absorbs the powers of a recently vanquished demon. As the creature goes in on him, Cole raises his arms--and to his surprise, electrocutes the creature. Piper and Paige are working on a scrying potion when Phoebe joins them in the attic. She just got off the phone with Darryl, who confirms that there is indeed a serial killer on the loose. He also found out that Jackman knows more about the sisters than he's letting on; he's traced the genealogy of the entire Warren/Halliwell line. Piper suspects Jackman will keep blackmailing them. Paige scries and finds Selena. The sisters orb to her apartment, and are surprised to find she has armed bodyguards. The bodyguards attack, but the sisters easily fend them off. Paige rushes in and knocks out Selena. Phoebe thinks she sees Cole calling to her. While Phoebe is distracted, a bodyguard rushes at them. The sisters orb out with Selena just as the guard shoots at them. thumb The sisters meet Jackman at the manor. Jackman appears as surprised that Selena had bodyguards. The sisters demand to see a warrant. Jackman produces one--but not before lecturing the sisters on their supposed arrogance. He promises to keep his end of the bargain--but only once Selena is in jail and he's sure the sisters won't come after him. Piper and Phoebe are now more determined than ever to relinquish their powers, but Paige thinks they're only seeing the bad. She also reminds them that their Charmed life is the reason that she even found out they were related. thumb|left The sisters summon the Angel. However, Phoebe wants to go to Cole one more time and tell him they can't save him; she thinks it'll help him move on. She astral-projects back to the Wasteland, and tells him that their love wasn't enough to make their relationship work. While she's gone, Piper and Paige trade mental notes, and suspect that something doesn't seem right about Jackman. When Phoebe returns, Piper and Paige want to check him out. The Angel agrees. Just then, Leo and Darryl orb in. They find out that Selena is the daughter of a witch--and Jackman is a witch hunter. Jackman has Selena tied to a stake. Just as he lights it, the sisters orb in. Piper tries to freeze the fire, to no avail; Jackman has scattered amulets all around the stake. He grabs Phoebe and pulls his pistol on her, but Phoebe knocks him to the ground. After failed attempts to put the fire out, Piper knocks the post down just as the flames reach Selena's leg. Just as Jackman fires at Phoebe, Cole teleports in. He raises his hand, and the bullet slows down. Cole waves his other hand, and Phoebe and Jackman swap places. The bullet hits Jackman square in the chest, killing him instantly. Cole reveals that he's picked up several powers, and he isn't giving up on her. He teleports out. The next day, Selena testifies about what Jackman was really doing. No one can figure out how he shot himself from twenty feet away, however. Leo reveals that he orbed the pictures into a volcano--all in the name of protecting his charges. thumb The Angel appears again, but Phoebe wants to stay a witch; saving Selena felt right, and not having powers didn't feel as right as she thought it would. Piper makes it unanimous. The Angel turns to leave--but not before telling everyone that their choice wouldn't have affected Piper and Leo's "personal destiny." He casts a knowing glance at Piper's womb. Phoebe and Paige know immediately--Piper's pregnant. As they celebrate, the Angel smiles as he fades out, closing the manor door behind him. Category:Plot Sections Category:Season 4 Plots